Trump to Moon Crew: "I Saved NASA," Seeks Autographs

The Artemis II astronauts called Earth after making history. They spoke with a president who claimed he prevented NASA's shutdown. The crew completed the farthest human journey from Earth on Monday. During a 12-minute call from lunar orbit, former President Donald Trump told them he had saved the space agency from closing. He also stated the astronauts should be honored he wanted their autographs. The conversation was arranged by NASA administrator Jared Isaacman, a Trump supporter. It included long pauses and several unrelated remarks from Trump. He mentioned his friendship with hockey star Wayne Gretzky and declared America "the hottest country in the world right now." Trump has previously proposed deep budget cuts for NASA.